Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), defiantly responded to a growing advertiser boycott over allegations of antisemitism on the platform at the New York Times DealBook conference.
Elon Musk explicitly told advertisers, including Disney’s CEO Bob Iger, who paused advertising on X, to “Go f— yourself.” He asserted that the boycott would lead to the company’s demise but vowed not to succumb to external pressures.
“What this advertising boycott is going to do is to kill the company,” Musk said before a crowd of business executives and journalists gathered at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan; the conference was also streamed live online. If X does go bankrupt, the public will blame censorious advertisers, not him or his actions, Musk said, vowing not to bow to pressure from outside companies or critics.
READ MORE: Elon Musk’s Twitter is at Death Door: A year under his reign signals its demise
X has faced advertiser backlash since Musk’s acquisition, with concerns about his commitment to free speech and the firing of moderation staff.
Musk addressed a controversial statement he made regarding Jewish communities and antisemitism, admitting it was foolish but denying antisemitism.
The interview covered various topics, including Musk’s mental health, his environmental contributions at Tesla, his reluctance to vote for President Biden, and his opposition to unions.
Musk stated that if Tesla unionized, it would be because the company failed in some way.
